MELBOURNE CUP 2018

MELBOURNE CUP 2018 RESULTS

MELBOURNE CUP FIELD 2018

Another gripping chapter was added to the history of the Melbourne Cup in 2017, when Rekindling was able to secure victory over Johannes Vermeer, with Max Dynamite finishing in third place.

In 2018 Yucatan has been a well supported favourite for the Melbourne Cup following his Herbert Power success and looks set to start a pronounced favourite for Tuesday's Cup. Caulfield Cup winner Best Solution has not had a great deal of support as he looks to become the first to secure the Melbourne Cup/Caulfield Cup double since 2001.

Prominent owner Lloyd Williams has once again heavily targeted the Melbourne Cup and his best hope is Yucatan as he looks to secure an amazing three successive Melbourne Cup victories, including a quinella finish in the 2017 Cup.

Williams stops at nothing in trying secure the race that has become his obsession, was represented by an incredible 6 runners in the 2017 Melbourne Cup. Three were trained at Mount Macedon by Robert Hickmott, Bondi Beach, Gallante and Almandin. The winner Rekindling and US Army Ranger were trained by Joseph O'Brien and runner-up Johannes Vermeer was prepared by father of Joseph, Aidan O'Brien, with the latter three prepared from the Werribee quarantine centre.

The win gave trainer Joseph O'Brien his maiden Cup victory at just his first attempt. Rekindling was ridden to victory by jockey Corey Brown who scored his 2nd Melbourne Cup victory in the process. The previous win for Brown came aboard the 2009 winner Shocking.

Ben Melham was aboard Johannes Vermeer and looked like he may have been able to claim his first Cup however Rekindling prevailed by a half-length margin. The Willie Mullins trained Max Dynamite finished well for 3rd and while it may have been a 1-2-3 for the International trainers, Zac Purton ensured the trifecta runners were all ridden by Australian jockeys.

UBET has the market available for the 2018 Melbourne Cup with the International raider Yucatan listed as the favourite. Yuctan has been seen once in Australia when claiming the G2 Herbert Power Stakes at Caulfield in impressive style.

The 2017 winner Rekindling will not be running in the Cup in 2018.

Proving how much the Cup has become an International affair, there are just 4 Australian-bred horses to take their place in the 2018 Melbourne Cup. Those that were born in Australia to tackle the 3200m staying test are Ace High, Sir Charles Road, Runaway and Youngstar.

The breakdown of breeding for the cup runners is Ireland with 9, Great Britain with 6, Australia with 4, New Zealand with 2 and Germany, Japan and France with 1 each. These runners are broken down to 11 prepared by Australian-based trainers and 13 by Internationally-based trainers.

Of the 24 runners that will line up, the only mare in the field is the Chris Waller trained Youngstar. a 4YO mare, Youngstar will be looking to emulate the deeds of Ethereal by claiming the Queensland Oaks in the Winter before securing the Melbourne Cup in the Spring.

To help you make a selection or confirm your early choice for the 2018 Melbourne Cup, UBET has provided key Melbourne Cup Statistics for the race.

2018 MELBOURNE CUP TIPS

LIKELY TO GO THE DISTANCE: Red Cardinal - the Irish-bred 7YO has started three times at 3200m and has won twice. A five-time winner in his career, he will take his place in the 2018 Cup under Darren Weir after competing in the 2017 Cup for German Andreas Wohler, the winning trainer in 2014 with Protectionist.

TOP MARE: Youngstar- not only the top mare, she is the only mare in the race. Can she become the first mare to claim the Cup since Makybe Diva in 2005?

INTERNATIONAL TIP: Yucatan - well supported to win an unprecedented third successive Cup for owner Lloyd Williams and seventh overall. Yucatan was successful at his first and only Australian start.

KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY: Ventura Storm - if the 6YO can win the Cup, it will be a real family affair. David Hayes, shares in the ownership of the last start Moonee Valley Cup winner and also trains it in partnership with his son Ben and nephew Tom Dabernig.

THE NAME: Magic Circle - the track may not quite be a circle at Flemington, however there will be magic created again when the winner returns to scale afte the running of the great race. The owner has also said if Magic Circle can win, he will strip down to a g-string!

THROW A DART: Who Shot Thebarman- the grand campaigner was forced to miss the 2017 Cup after being scratched. Can the 10YO wind back the clock to claim the Cup.

TOP TRIFECTA TIP: Not too sure how to play the Cup in 2018. Why not try a trifecta on the UBET tote. Playing this combination where a runner can finish in any positon listed - for $20 will give you 14% of the declared dividend:

ABOUT MELBOURNE CUP

ABOUT MELBOURNE CUP

The Melbourne Cup is literally ‘the race that stops a nation’. On the first Tuesday in November at 3pm (AEDT), most Aussies are glued to the television, radio or internet to witness who will be the next horse etched in Australian equine history, and of course, to see if their flutter is successful. A 3200m Group 1 Open Handicap, many Cup contenders turn into pretenders after three and a bit minutes. Trainers, jockeys and horses go through a gruelling preparation in the hope of being successful on that day in November.

Dating back to 1861, the Cup has been one of the premier events on the Australian racing calendar. But more recently, this great racing tradition has gone global. Thoroughbreds and trainers travel from all over the world to participate in Australia’s ‘race of races’ in a quest to get their hands on our Cup and the massive prize money that goes with it.

The Melbourne Cup is the richest and most prestigious ‘two-mile’ handicap in the world, open to all horses aged three-years-old and above.

Each year around 300-400 horses nominate for the Melbourne Cup, but the final field is restricted to just 24. Owners, trainers, jockeys, racing enthusiasts, punters and once-a-year dabblers can’t wait until the Saturday night before the race, when the field is finalised and announced. Apart from the winners of a few select races which provide for automatic entry, horses hoping for a Cup start go through a ballot system to determine the final field.

WIN/PLACE BET

The Win/Place is the simplest and most popular bet type. You select a runner or runners to win and/or be placed first, second or third.

A Win bet is available on every race, and a Place bet is available subject to the number of starters in a race:

Where there are 8 or more starters (or at least 7 if the field has been reduced by a Late Scratching) then 3 place dividends are paid.

If there are 5, 6, or 7 starters (or 4 starters if the field has been reduced by a Late Scratching), then there will be No Third Dividend (NTD).

If there are 4 or less starters in a race, then there is No Place Pool (NPP) and any Place investments will be refunded.

The minimum bet for Win or Place is $1.

A Win and Place bet on a runner is also known as an 'each way' bet.

TRIFECTA BET

To win a Trifecta you must select first, second and third in correct order.

A Trifecta bet is available on every race at every meeting provided there are at least four (4) or more runners.

With a Trifecta you can specify the Maximum Spend you wish to make. The minimum investment per combination is 1% and
the Maximum Spend per ticket must be in multiples of a $1. The minimum Spend is $3 unless your investment per combination is 100%.
Dividends are calculated and declared on a $1 basis.

Keep a look out for Trifecta jackpots. If there are no winning units on a Trifecta, the pool jackpots to another meeting at a future date.
The jackpot pool is always carried over to a meeting of the same code of racing. Please note that partial jackpots occur when the total of
winning investments is less than 100%.

There are several ways to take a Trifecta bet:

STANDARD TRIFECTA

For a standard Trifecta you have to select first, second and third in the correct finishing order. This gives you just one combination to win.

BOX TRIFECTA

A Box Trifecta increases your chance to win a Trifecta. By 'boxing' your selections you cover all the possible combinations involving those
runners. For example, three (3) runners boxed will cover all six (6) possible combinations. You can box as many runners as you like.

QUINELLA BET

To win a Quinella, you must select first and second in any order.

A Quinella bet is available on every race provided there are at least three (3) or more runners.

With a Quinella you can specify the Maximum Spend you wish to make. The minimum investment per combination is 1% and the Maximum Spend
per ticket must be in multiples of a $1. The minimum Spend is $3 unless your investment per combination is 100%. Dividends are calculated
and declared on a $1 basis.

Keep a look out for Quinella jackpots. If there are no winning units on a Quinella, the pool jackpots to another meeting at a future date.
The jackpot pool is always carried over to a meeting of the same code of racing. Please note that partial jackpots occur when the total
winning investment is less than $1.

There are several ways to take a Quinella bet:

STANDARD QUINELLA

For a Standard Quinella, just choose the first two placegetters past the post, in any order. As long as your two selections finish first
and second, you collect the Quinella dividend.

BOX QUINELLA

With a Box Quinella you can choose as many runners as you like, providing two of your selections finish first and second, in any order.
The more runners you 'Box' in a Quinella the more combinations you get.

PREVIOUS MELBOURNE CUP WINNERSPREVIOUS MELBOURNE CUP WINNERS

ALMANDIN WINS THE 2016 MELBOURNE CUP

17. ALMANDIN

SILKS COLOURS: Navy Blue, White Armbands And Red Cap

TRAINER: Robert Hickmott

JOCKEY: Kerrin McEvoy

AGE: 7YO bay gelding

CUP WEIGHT: 52kg

MIN/MAX DIST WINS: 2040/3200

CAREER RECORD: 12: 5-3-1

LAST WIN: G3 Bart Cummings Stakes, 2500m, October 02 2016

Almandin secured his place for the first Tuesday in November when taking out the Bart Cummings, a race that offers ballot exemption. The German bred gelding is only lightly raced with just 11 starts and will have the benefit of Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle, a previous winner of the Cup who lines up for his 14th appearance. This will be his first run greater than 2500m , however he has won his past 2 starts at 2400m and then 2500m.

Heartbreak City (13) ran second followed by Harnell (6) in third in the 2016 Melbourne Cup.

YEAR

WINNER

JOCKEY

TRAINER

RACE TIME

ODDS

2016

ALMANDIN

KERRIN MCEVOY

ROBERT HICKMOTT

3.20.58

$12.30

2015

PRINCE OF PENZANCE

MICHELLE PAYNE

DARREN WEIR

3.23.1

$91

2014

PROTECTIONIST

RYAN MOORE

ANDREAS WOHLER

3.17.7

$8.40

2013

FIORENTE

DAMIEN OLIVER

GAI WATERHOUSE

3.20.8

$7.50

2012

GREEN MOON

BRETT PREBBLE

ROBERT HICKMOTT

3.20.4

$20

2011

DUNADEN

CHRISTOPHE LEMAIRE

MIKEL DELZANGLES

3.20.8

$8.50

2010

AMERICAIN

GÉRALD MOSSÉ

ALAIN DE ROYER DUPRE

3.26.8

$12

2009

SHOCKING

COREY BROWN

MARK KAVANAGH

3.23.8

$9.90

2008

VIEWED

BLAKE SHINN

BART CUMMINGS

3.20.4

$41

2007

EFFICIENT

MICHAEL RODD

GRAEME ROGERSON

3.23.3

$17

2006

DELTA BLUES

YASUNARI IWATA

KATSUHIKO SUMII

3.21.4

$18

2005

MAKYBE DIVA

GLEN BOSS

LEE FREEDMAN

3.19.1

$4.40

2004

MAKYBE DIVA

GLEN BOSS

LEE FREEDMAN

3.28.5

$5

ALMANDIN WINS THE 2016 MELBOURNE CUP

17. ALMANDIN

SILKS COLOURS: Navy Blue, White Armbands And Red Cap

TRAINER: Robert Hickmott

JOCKEY: Kerrin McEvoy

AGE: 7YO bay gelding

CUP WEIGHT: 52kg

MIN/MAX DIST WINS: 2040/3200

CAREER RECORD: 12: 5-3-1

LAST WIN: G3 Bart Cummings Stakes, 2500m, October 02 2016

Almandin secured his place for the first Tuesday in November when taking out the Bart Cummings, a race that offers ballot exemption. The German bred gelding is only lightly raced with just 11 starts and will have the benefit of Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle, a previous winner of the Cup who lines up for his 14th appearance. This will be his first run greater than 2500m , however he has won his past 2 starts at 2400m and then 2500m.

Heartbreak City (13) ran second followed by Harnell (6) in third in the 2016 Melbourne Cup.

Over the years there have been some great horses claim the coveted Cup. Aussie turf legends such as Carbine, Phar Lap, Let’s Elope, Saintly, Might and Power and Makybe Diva are just a few. The international honour board is also impressive, with the first New Zealand bred winner being Martini-Henry in 1863, while Kiwi (1983), Empire Rose (1988) Jezabeel (1998) and Ethereal (2001) are other high profile winners from across the ditch. Imports such as Backwood (1924), Belldale Ball (1980) At Talaq (1986), Juene (1994), Green Moon (2012) and Fiorente (2013) have also been successful for local trainers. Of the true international raiders, Irishman Dermot Weld started the foreign plunder in 1993 with Vintage Crop, and followed it up with Media Puzzle nine years later. Many other overseas based horses and trainers have followed suit in pursuit of our great Cup.

The Pearl (1871), Wotan (1936) & Old Rowley (1940) have the record for the longest odds at 100/1.

The highest weight carried by a filly or a mare was 58kg when Makybe Diva recorded the third of her three successive Cups victories in 2005.

The horse with the lowest weight on record was in 1863 when Banker carried just 33.57kg in a seven horse field.

Archer (1861-62), Rain Lover (1968-69), Think Big (1974-75) and Makybe Diva (2003-5) have won consecutive Cups, while Peter Pan also won the Cup twice in 1932 and 1934.

The biggest winning margin is eight lengths, recorded by two dual Cup winners - Archer in 1862 and Rain Lover in 1968.

The 1891 Melbourne Cup was an all family affair with James Redfearn training, owning and breeding winner Malvolio, and his son George Refearn riding the four-year-old to victory and netting the Melbourne family 13,124 pounds.

Japan’s first success in the Cup came in 2006 when Delta Blues beat home another horse from the ‘land of the rising sun’ in Pop Rock.

Connections of the first Cup winner (Archer in 1861) received 710 gold sovereigns and a hand-beaten gold watch, compared to a winner’s cheque of $3.6m these days, along with an 18ct solid gold Hardy Brothers trophy valued at $175,000.

A trophy (originally in the form of a miniature horse and jockey atop a silver bowl with handles) was introduced in 1865, before the Melbourne Cup trophy itself was first used in 1919.

The minimum weight for a horse in the Melbourne Cup is 49kg, with no maximum limit. However, the topweight in the final field must carry no less than 57kg. Weights are allocated two months before the event and can be elevated depending on a horse’s lead-up results. Being a handicap, better quality horses receive higher weights, giving lesser performed gallopers (which are given less weight) a real chance to win. The ballot system takes into account various factors such as the amount of prize money earned in the previous two years, wins or placings in lead-up races and the original allotted weight. There are no emergencies drawn for the Cup and the final 24 must have passed strict criteria, such as winning a Listed event or placing in a Group race over 2300m or further in distance. Once a horse has qualified, it needs to maintain or improve form to ensure it is high enough in the ballot (weight, performance & prize money earned) to make the final 24. Often horses on the fringe of qualifying need to win or place in a race on Derby Day (Lexus or Makinnon) to snatch a berth in the Cup three days later. The total entrance fee for each of the 24 Melbourne Cup entrants is just over $50,000. The race winner in 2013 received $3.6m, with prize money paid to the first ten place-getters (10th in 2013 received $125,000).

Australia’s ‘great race’ has a great trainer – the legendary Bart Cummings. With a record 12 wins on the first Tuesday in November, James Bartholomew Cummings has well and truly earned the nickname of the ‘Cups King’. Cummings’ first Melbourne Cup runner was Asian Court in 1958. His first winner was Light Fingers, who beat stablemate Ziema in 1965. Inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame and the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, and made a member of the Order Of Australia, Cummings’s last Cup winner was Viewed in 2008.